Petrichor is the scent that is created when the rain hits dry ground after a long period of dry weather. Bacteria, plants and even lightning can all play a role in the pleasant smell we experience after a thunderstorm. This scent has long been chased by scientists and even perfumers for its enduring appeal. First named by two Australian researchers in the 1960s as petrichor, it is the warm, earthy fragrance we experience when rain hits dry ground. It was already a signature fragrance being produced in Kannauj, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India in the 1960s and was called "mitti attar" (Earth's perfume). This village has been capturing the scent of rain and do it to this day.
For a bit more of a scientific look, you know how just before it rains, you can smell the rain? That's because the air becomes more humid and the ground begins to moisten. This process helps to speed up the activity of the actinobacteria and more geosmin is formed. When raindrops fall on the ground, especially porous surfaces such as loose soil or rough concrete, they will splatter and eject tiny particles called aerosols. The geosmin and other petrichor compounds that may be present on the ground or dissolved within the raindrop are released in aerosol form and carried by the wind to surrounding areas. If the rainfall is heavy enough, the petrichor scent can travel rapidly downwind and alert people that rain is soon on the way. The scent eventually goes away after the storm has passed and the ground begins to dry. This leaves the actinobacteria lying in wait – ready to help us know when it might rain again.
You will receive a 1/2ml sample (1ml sample vial filled half full) of each of the following fragrances.
- Lurker And Strange Metanoia Perfume Oil - A blend of deep oakmoss, oud, patchouli, sandalwood, dark amber, tonka bean and petrichor.
- Sixteen92 Supercell 2024 Parfum - The first batch of Supercell was released in Spring 2015 and it's returned periodically in extremely limited releases. Only a single batch is made for each release and each year's batch is unique. Tornado Alley. There's a stillness, a quiet chaos of an oncoming storm. Supercell is a conceptual, atmospheric fragrance that bottles the essence of a Spring thunderstorm. The first cracks of ozonic lightning in the distance, rolling humid air, sharp green grass under heavy grey skies, the smell of rain on hot asphalt, crushed green stems, windblown hay, soaked earth and ancient branches snapped open by the forces of nature. A ozonic, dark floral and green fragrance that features top notes (The Calm Before) of electric ozone, sharp green grasses and asphalt; middle notes (The Storm) of petrichor, windblown hay and damp florals; and base notes (The Aftermath) of crushed stems, soaked earth and cracked branches.
- The Strange South Petrichor EDP - A layering note to add to your favorite fragrance or to wear alone.
- Ghoulish Goods Petrichor Perfume Oil - A beautiful blend of wet earth, fresh rain and pebblestones. This scent will instantly transport you to that calm and easy place in your soul that emanates when the rain falls. It captures the fresh rain hitting warm stones and pavement, wet earth from the stirring of the top soil and raindrops, the fresh summer air and puddles beneath your feet. It sparks images of moody lighting, sipping a warm drink while watching the rain from the window, a cozy blanket and book in hand. Or perhaps it transports you to a more cheerful time of twirling in the summer rain and splashing in the puddles. With top notes of white florals, wood and ozone; middle notes of patchouli, wood and ozone; and base notes of geosmin and earth.
- Fyrinnae Reflectivity Perfume Oil - Rain begins falling in the city, the smell of precipitation hitting asphalt. As you walk or drive toward the outskirts of town through the more rural neighborhoods, the scents of rain seem more fresh as the soil, mulch and trees get wet. This scent is meant to fade to a more wet earth fragrance as the top notes dissipate.
